Refrigerating apparatus



j A. A. KUCHER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 4', 1939 Ill; ATTORNEYS;

Patented May 27, 194i 2,243,465 REFRIGE'RATING APPARATUS Andrew A. Kucher, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Delaware Application May 4, 1939, Serial No. 271,749

4 Claims.

This invention relates to compremors and particularly compressors iorrefrigerating systems.

An object of my invention is topprovide an improved rotary compressor for refrigerating systems.

Another object of my invention is to provide arotary compressor employing an eccentric to gyrate or oscillate a rotor ring within a cylinder with means for preventing rotation of the rotor ring relative to and within the cylinder during its gyration therein.

A further and more specific object of my invention is to provide a so-calld loose or free ringof a rotary compressor with an elongated groove that receives a stationary pin secured to an end plate of the compressor cylinder which groove permits the ring to gyrate within the cylinder and which pin prevents rotation of the ring relative to the cylinder during the gyratory movement of the ring within the cylinder.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing dacription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form. of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

7 Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a sealed motor-compressor unithaving my invention embodied therein;

.Fig. 2 is-a transverse sectional view of the compressor part of the unit shown in Fig. 1 and is taken on the line 2--2 thereof; and V Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the unit taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawing, for illustrating my invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof a sealed motor-compresor unit, generally represented by the reference character Ill, adapted to circulate a refrigerating medium to and from an evaporator of a refrigerating system. The sealed unit Ill comprises an upper dome-shaped housing H and a lower-housing l2 bolted or otherwise suitably secured to housing II to form a sealed enclosure. A metal spider-like member' I3 has a central vertically elongated portion |4 forming a bearing for a shaft I5. The upper end of shaft l5 carries a motor rotor l6 which rotates within a motor stator l1 secured to the upstanding walls I8 of member l3. The bottom horizontal surface of member I3 is finished and provides one flat wall 2| of a compressor cylinder. Shaft l5 .extends through the wall 2| at the bearingportion l4 of metal member l3 and has an eccentric 22' integrally formed thereon. A rotor ring 23 having a continuous or unbroken outer cylindrical surface surrounds the eccentric 22 and is located in a cylinder chamber 24 provided in an annular metal member 25 which is secured to member l3 by a plurality of bolts 26. The ring 23 is relatively thick and is of smaller allover diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical wall 'of the cylinder chamber 24 to thereby, permit the ring to be gyrated within the chamber. A plate 21, which cooperates with the fiat bottom wall 2| of member l3, provides another fiat wall of the cylinder chamber 24 and is secured to the annular metal member 25 by a plurality of bolts 28 (see Fig. 3). A housing 29 is secured to plate 21 by a plurality of screws 3| and is provided with a plurality of webs 32 (see Fig. 3) which form in conjunction with plate 21 a plurality of chambers 33. All webs 32 of housing 29 except the one web 34 have an opening 35 therein to permit com,- munication therebetween for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A divider block 4| extends through an opening 42 cut in member 25 (see Fig. 2) and is pressed against the rotor ring 23 by a pair of springs 43 which springs are supported by a backing plate 44 having ears 45 se cured to member l3 by the bolts 46. The divider block 4| is separate from and independent of ring 23 and is adapted to abuttingly engage the continuous outer surface of the ring. Refrigerant or other medium to be compressed by the compressor portion of unit I0 may flow into the cylinder 24 through a pipe 48, which is sealed to the wall of the lower housing I2, and through an inlet passage 49, cut in the annular member 25, leading to the interior of the cylinder cham-;

ber 24. It will be noted that the passage, communicates with cylinder 24 adjacent the divider block 4| and that I have providedanoutlet pasv sage 5| upon the opposite side of the divider block 4|. The passage 5| is provided with a discharge check valve device 52 of any suitable or conventional construction and 'which is located within one of the chambers 33 of housing .29

and which is attached to the under side of plate 21 (see Fig. 3). It will alsobe noted that I have provided a hole 54 (see Fig. 3) which extends through the plate 21 and register; with a hole 55 (see Fig. 2) extending through the annular member 25. These registering holes 54 and 55 are arranged'in-registration with a bore'ir'iot shown) provided in a web', portion of spider casing or member l3. j p

' Inorder to prevent rotation'of the ringZS rela-' tive to the cylindrical wall of the chamber 24 during gyration or oscillation thereof within the cylinder, I cut an elongated notch 51 in the lower flat surface of ring 23 which notch receives a peg or pin 53 staked or otherwise suitably secured to the flat chamber wall or plate 21. It is'to be shaft bearing surfaces. The lubricant from the oil reservoir may flow through a screen I and a passage 62, provided in the central part of plate 21, into the inner cylindrical chamber of ring 23 which contains the eccentric 22. A pipe 34 '15 sealed to the upper part of the dome housing ll communicates with the interior of unit Ill and is adapted to convey refrigerant compressed by the compressor portion of unit ll therefrom and into a condenser.

. During operation of unit. the motor thereof causes rotation of shaft l5 about the axis of the cylindrical 'wall of chamber 24 and consequently the eccentric 22 formed on the shaft is rotated within the cylindrical inner surface of ring 23. Since the axis of eccentric 23 is offset relative to the axis of shaft I5 andthe cylinderchafnber wall, its rotation within the ring 23 causes-this ring to gyrate or oscillate within the cylinder 24,. The gyration or oscillation of ring 23 permits gaseous refrigerant to be drawn into the cylinder 24 from the passage 43 and this refrigerant is compressed in the cylinder by the gyratory movement of ring 23. The compressed refrigerant is forcedfrom the cylinder 24 through the passage Stand discharge valve device 52 from where it flows into the one chamber 33 adjacent the imperforate web 34 and thence through the openings 36,'provided in the webs 32 of housing 23, i and through the plurality of chambers 33 to the hole 54. The compressed refrigerant flows through the registering holes 54 and 55 and through the a hole in the web portion of spider member l3 to a point above the level of oil in unit II and thence outwardly of the unit through the pipe 34. During gyration of ring 23 within cylinder, 24 the elongated notch or groove 31 therein is moved from one side to the-other'side of peg or pin 33 and this pin prevents rotation of the ring 23 relative to and within cylinder 24 to thus limit'movement of the ring 23, by rotation of eccentric 22, to a gyrating motion. Also, during syration of block 4| is reciprocated due to its abutting en- ;gagement with the continuous outer surface of ring 23. The lower housing 23 and the series of chambers: 33 provided therebyform a silencing device to muiiie the noise created by refrigerant being discharged from the compressor and serves to dissipate the latent heat of compression of the 50 refrigerant to oil surrounding this chamber forniinghousing. 4

From the foregoing, itwillbe seen that I have provided an improved rotary compressor unit and that bylimiting movement of therotor ring acteristics of a rotary compressor structure of the type disclosed while at the same timeprolon'gs the liiykoperatin'g parts thereof. The simplined d inexpensive arrangement disclosed is particularly applicable to the so-called free ring type rotary compressors, in this respect I ring 23 within the cylinder chamber 24 the divider ,wish to distinguish m invention from those types of rotary compressors wherein the divider block is carried by or mounted in the rotor ring.

While the form of embodiment ofthe invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it late be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope said chamber and having an outer surface of 1 smaller diameter than said chamber, means disposed within said ring and located eccentrically with respect to the axis of said chamber, means for rotating said eccentrically located means about the axis of said chamber to gyrate said ring therein, a divider block separate from and independent of said ring located in a wall of said chamber intermediate said inlet and said outlet thereof on one side of said eccentric, means forcingsaid divider block into abuttingengagement with the outer surface of saidring whereby the block is reciprocated by the g'yratory movement of said ring, and means preventing rotation of said ring relative to said chamber during gyra-' vtion thereof within the chamber, said last named with respect to the axis of said cylinder, means for -rota ting said eccentrically located means about the axis of said cylinder to gyrate said ring therein, a divider-block separate from and independant of said ring located in a wall of said cylinder intermediate said inlet and said outlet thereof on one side of said eccentric, means forcing said divider block into abutting engagement with the outer surface'of said ring whereby the block is-reciprocatedby the gyratory movement of said ring, said ring having an elongated groove therein disposed on the side of said eccentric opposite said block, the center line of elongation of said groove being in alignment with the center of said block and with the axis of said cylinder when the point of greatest eccentricity of said ring is in contact with the center point of the inner surface of said block, and stationar means located within the groove in said ring for preventing rotatiomof said ring relative tosaid cylinder during BY 'ation thereof within the-cylinder.

3. In combination, a compressor having two I spaced apart flat walls and a cylindrical wall extending therebetween to man a chamber, said chamber having an inlet and an outlet in certainof its walls, a relatively thick ring disposed within said chamber and having an outer surface of smaller diameter than said cylindrical chamber Wall, means disposed within said ring and locatedeccentrically with to the axis of said cylin-' drical chamber-wailjrfneans-for firtating said eccemrically locatedmeans about the axis of said cylindrical chamber wall in said chamber,

and independent to gyr'ate said ring witha divider block separate from of said ring located in said chamber cylindrical wall intermediate said cham- .ber inlet and outlet on oneiside of said eccentric,-

ting engagement J '2,24e,4es

spring means forcing said divider block into abutwith the outer surface or said ring whereby the block isreciprocated by the gyratory movement'oi said ring, ;a side of said ring adjacent one chamber flat wall having an 5 elongated groove therein disposed on the side of said eccentric opposite said block, the center line} of elongation of said groove being in alignment with the center or said block and with the axis of said cylinder when the point of'greatest eccenl0 tricity of said ring is in contact with the center point of the inner surface of said block, and stationary means projecting into said chamber from its said one flat wall and located within the groove in said ring for preventing rotation of 15 saidring relative to said cylindrical chamber wall during gyrationthereoi within the chamber. 4. In combination, a rotary compressor; having c a compressor chamber, said compressor, chamber comprising spaced apart side walls and a circum- 20 ferentia'l wall, a movabie compressor ring of and means traversing one and' disposed between and in contact with the side walls of said compressor chamber and adapted to gyrate therein, inlet and outlet-ports ring and the side limiting circumferential movement of said ring within said chamber, said last named means being located entirely on one side of the axis of said chamber about which said piston gyrate's and said ring being i'reely rotatable with regard tosaid divider block except for said last named means;

axucm I smaller diameter than said compressor chamber I I edge surfaceof the 5 wall contacting therewith for 

